Bishop Robert Barron has been likened to a 21st-century Fulton Sheen: His website (WordonFire.org), his Catholicism series and his social-media presence have given this popular Catholic evangelist multiple platforms to reach and preach to today’s secular culture.

This book is a collaboration between Bishop Barron and veteran journalist John Allen to tell the story behind Bishop Barron and his Word on Fire ministry. The Church’s contemporary challenge, says the bishop, is a creeping secularism in the culture and among individuals.

Culture has increasingly amputated itself from its religious roots, and 9/11 helped revitalize the Enlightenment prejudice that religion is a violent, destructive and irrational force. This, in turn, fuels the New Atheist movement, he explains. Simultaneously, the rise of religious dropouts — lapsed Catholics, “nones” and “spiritual-but-not-religious” — has shifted America markedly in a secular direction. The Church didn’t help itself with the sex-abuse scandals and its ham-handed handling of them.

But Bishop Barron doesn’t regret. He wants to do; to reach out to the unchurched and disaffected, not with vinegar, but with honey — the honey of beauty: “In Christian tradition, beauty, goodness and truth are known as ‘transcendentals,’ linked to the three core human abilities to feel, to wish and to think. Jesus refers to them in the Great Commandment, when he talks about the mind, the soul and the heart. While Bishop Barron is convinced that Catholic Christianity represents the fullness of all three, he’s equally convinced that the right way to open up the Catholic world to someone is with its beauty.”

Bishop Barron owes his focus on beauty to Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of his philosophical mentors. God as Beautiful will lead us, he believes, to God as Truth and God as Goodness, but the quest for the Divine begins in Beauty — which is where the Catholicism series begins, too.

Allen leads us through Bishop Barron’s ideas about beauty, truth and goodness to create an evangelism for today that addresses today’s culture. He also identifies some of the bishop’s key themes, three of which merit attention: 1) Christocentricity — Catholicism begins not with our experience, but with Christ, who seeks a relationship with us; 2) biblical focus — the Catholic story is grounded in the biblical world, one very different from ours, and good preaching starts there, refracting our experience through it, not the other way around; and 3) intellectual rigor — in trying to explain the Catholic message, Bishop Barron does not want to “dumb it down,” arguing we have lost a lot by a catechesis of oversimplification and coloring books. As he puts it: “There was a young lady who worked at Word on Fire and she had two kids. Her daughter was nine. In she comes one day, and her mom says, ‘Hey, tell Father Bob all about Star Wars.’ So off she goes, recounting in infinite detail the whole Star Wars saga — every minor player and every complicated name. I’m smiling as she told me all about it, and when she finished, I said to her mother, ‘Now don’t tell me little kids can’t understand the Bible.’ Give me a break! I frankly don’t see how Habakkuk and Nebuchadnezzar are necessarily harder to memorize than Obi-Wan Kenobi and Lando Calrissian.”

This book supplies a good background into a very popular, effective and erudite spokesman for the Catholic message today. My one reservation is its repeated downplaying of Catholic sexual morality. Yes, I agree it’s not where evangelization need begin. But anybody who has followed contemporary culture knows that defense of the “sexual revolution” is the hill on which much of the American chattering and opinion-making classes will die.

To pretend that sex is not ground zero of the contemporary battle for human dignity is to deny reality. I’m not sure if it’s just Bishop Barron’s strategic choice about where to begin or Allen’s mediating the dissident line that sexual morality is “not central to the faith,” and so, with a wink and nod, the topic gets marginalized not so much by explicit rejection as the “sounds of silence.” I’m not suggesting Bishop Barron does not engage these issues, but I question their being put on a back burner.

Still, Bishop Barron is on to something that may even become a new movement in the Church — this book illumines its richness.

A fair reading of this book indicates that Barron (or at least John Allen, with Barron’s consent) downplays the integrity of Catholic sexual ethics. Again, I agree that we should not start there in addressing a secular culture. But neither should we, by apology or—more commonplace—by silence, suggest that what the Church teaches is marginal to the faith, which it is not. That ruse has been afoot since Humanae vitae, where you have (a) dissident theologians who repudiate the encyclical; (b) priests and bishops who, without repudiating it, never open their mouths about it, either; and (c) an ecclesiastical version of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in many confessionals. I want to foster contemporary evangelization, but that means that faith AND MORALS go part and parcel together for the Catholic. I am willing to start in different places, but I am not willing to end with some places being left out, by commission or omission.

Posted by justmaybe on Tuesday, Nov, 28, 2017 11:01 AM (EST):

I “out-edited myself,” apparently. I was saying…

author Grondelski makes the same mistake for which he criticizes the Left: making sex the basic issue, the hill on which to die. He argues that sex is “ground zero” for contemporary battles over human dignity. That preoccupation with sex—a preoccupation shared with the secular Left, to be sure—distorts and misleads on the path to evangelizing. Sex gets way too much credit. Too much focus. Too much unsought “expertise.” And too much blame.

Grondelski says Bishop Barron repeatedly “downplays” sexual morality, an unfair and incorrect assertion, not supportable by the facts. I think Barron—again—gets it right in advising how and why we must evangelize in a secular age. Grondelski might want more talk about sex to differentiate Catholicism, but there is so, so, so much more about our faith and about human dignity that must be known first and foremost. Sex will not be the theology hill we either live or die on.

Because Jesus left the 99 behind to go and rescue the 1 lost sheep? So all can be saved? Because 98% is not enough?

Furthermore, the problem that God faced was not in the giving of the gift of paradise. The problem was in the keeping of the gift. We suffer from a condition colloquially known as butterfingers. In religious jargon, the problem is called original sin. We let the gift of paradise slip through our fingers. God gave Lucifer the gift of paradise but he fumbled the ball. So did the gaggle of angels that followed Lucifer (Revelation 12:4). So did Eve. So did Adam. When God delivers the gift of paradise to the children of Adam and Eve, God wants us to keep it. God does not want us to repeat the debacle of our predecessors.

What was God’s solution to the actual problem?

God inserted a delay between the giving of the gift of life and the gift of paradise. He stopped doing simultaneous delivery. During the delay, God marinates us in the truth like pickles in a barrel of brine. God made us rational creatures. Rational creatures behave in a predictable manner. We follow a pattern. When fueled by the truth, our rationality steers us in the right direction. When the fuel of truth is fouled by illusions, our rationality leads us astray. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). The truth is the harsh but effective medicine that God prescribes to us. Rational creatures seek the sweetness of paradise and flee the sourness of godlessness. It is against our self interest to do otherwise. It is crazy to do otherwise. The prodigal son is never going back to the pig sty and neither are we. When God delivers to us the gift of paradise, we will keep it. We will not fumble the ball.

We evangelize to shatter the illusions conjured up by the serpent that hide the truth from us - that camouflage the sweetness of paradise and sugarcoat the sourness of godlessness. We evangelize to shatter the illusions with the sledgehammer of truth as the blow of a hammer. We shatter the illusions because the truth sets us free.

I do not deny that we need to present the Gospel to people whole and intact. I would describe myself as among those theologians who puts a focus on orthodoxy as something explicit. That said, and in response to my comment about approaching today’s religiously indifferent and illiterate with honey, the last time I checked, “evangelion” translates as “the Good News,” not “the Bad News that’s Really Good News.” We should not dilute our teachings, but neither is it necessary that they be offered with Castor Oil 6.0 Mega-Concentrate extra dosage.

Posted by John Hickey on Saturday, Nov, 25, 2017 2:39 PM (EST):

The Church is fading in the West because most are prosperous. Prosperity breeds a sense of entitlement. Pride.
Unfortunately when the faithful poor become rich, the same thing occurs. It is fallen human nature. The great religious of the past chose poverty. Through this they learned to rely on God. The rich praise themselves even when they profess humility.
” But when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18.8)

Posted by Mary Rainey on Saturday, Nov, 25, 2017 12:01 PM (EST):

Only those who don’t know history are led to believe that THIS time we live in is somehow different from the past. That THIS TIME requires a new or different understanding of the truth. That THIS period in history must address truth in a way that can be embraced by people OF TODAY. AS IF mankind is now a different creature affected by different challenges, different demons, different passions, concupiscence not previously dealt with by humans. WHAT HOG WASH!!!!

The only thing different about THIS TIME we live in is that leaders in the Church are more concerned about keeping up their financial bottom lines than they are in spreading the unchangeable truth. They believe the “message” must have broad appeal, that the hard facts will never attract enough takers, and without watering down the doctrine the churches will continue to empty.

The fact is churches empty when God is pushed aside and filled with political agendas that only suggest but do not mirror the real Gospel of Christ.

Posted by John Bosco on Saturday, Nov, 25, 2017 11:35 AM (EST):

Bishop Barron has asked himself the question that most of us do not. When you evangelize, with what do you bait your hook to fish for the children of Adam and Eve? What bait do the fish take hook, line and sinker? He has come to the conclusion that the bait is not the Church’s understanding of morality - sexual morality or otherwise. Bishop Barron has come to the conclusion that the Son of God impaled bloody and alive on the Cross like a worm on a hook is the bait. The bait is cast into the valley of tears to fish for the children of Adam and Eve. Bishop Barron holds the opinion that there is a sequence to evangelization - a sequence that must be followed to ensure its success. Evangelization does not entail throwing all of Christianity at the wall in the hope that some of it sticks. Evangelization has a foundation and roof. Get the foundation right and everything else falls into place. Get the foundation wrong and everything else falls apart. Morality is the roof of Christianity. The Son of God impaled bloody and alive on the Cross like a worm on a hook is the foundation. Bishop Barron is a true fisher of men. He is saying to the Church, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.

Posted by Matt on Saturday, Nov, 25, 2017 6:49 AM (EST):

Unfortunately Barron’s theology is a confused mess being that he buys into the confused theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Bishop Barron does not want to water the faith down? He does it all the time on his videos. “Adam, now don’t read it literally, were not talking about a literal figure. We are talking theological poetry.” There are much better theologians who deserve more exposure than Barron. Why not give theologians like Fr. Romanus Cessario, OP or Fr. Thomas Joseph White, OP a look for an article? There are many lectures and books available from both theologians. Why not contact them and write an article about their views on the subject? Everyone is growing tired of the same 1960s approach to theology and evangelization. The perennial teaching of the Church works great!

Posted by Kate on Saturday, Nov, 25, 2017 4:44 AM (EST):

I’m a fan of Bishop Barron. Our parish hosted his entire “Catholicism” 10-part series for adults and is now hosting its follow-up, “The Pivotal Players”. Simply outstanding.

Bishop Barron would do the Church an invaluable and critically needed service to produce a series on sexual morality, especially concerning the sacredness of sacramental marriage and chastity outside of marriage. The Church is bleeding souls on this cutting issue. The center is not holding, and this indeed is the hill on which the spiritual fight is being lost.

There are already plenty of excellent resources on abortion and euthanasia. What we need is a defense of chastity based on Scripture and the Church’s teaching, especially the ancient teaching of the Fathers, etc. We can know all about Church doctrine, history and beauty, but without chaste living, God is lost to a person. Literally lost. No one can serve both God and impure living. Please help us, Bishop Barron!

Posted by C-Marie on Friday, Nov, 24, 2017 5:27 PM (EST):

Have not read the book, but what people are looking for is to know that they know they are loved. And that is what Jesus gave to us. Our Father Who LOVES us, each, imdividually, and all together!! So sorry to hear that Bishop,Barron has missed the boat. And by the way, Hell is not being left out of a party, even by one’s own choice. Hell is eternal damnation, utter separation away from God Who loves us truly. God bless, C-Marie

Posted by Doug on Friday, Nov, 24, 2017 2:56 PM (EST):

To believe as Bishop Barron proposes that Catholic evangelization should begin with honey in order to pre-condition and lure lapsed Catholics and non believers into accepting the vinegar of Church teaching and God’s Commandments is wishful thinking and seems morally wrong. The Church has been following this non religious secular strategy for the last 50 years and the results speak for themselves. The Church is dying in the West and yet our Prelates continue to follow the same failed strategy. Do you think by now it would have occurred to them that God was sending them a message? That they were on the wrong path? That perhaps they should look to the parts of the Church today that are growing and prospering and emulate what they are doing?

The path to successful evangelization is simple, straightforward and timeless. Follow the example of Jesus Christ, and also His Apostles who went forth and singlehandedly converted the entire civilized world to Catholicism. How? By lovingly and unapologetically speaking vinegar. The Gospel Truth in all its glory. They were not afraid or ashamed, even if it offended people or made them mad. They had abundant supernatural grace and tenacious conviction and bravery back then. They knew that people’s everlasting souls were at risk and it was their sacred duty to save them by through conversion into the Catholic Church. These sense of urgency qualities and knowingly righteous moral convictions based on supernatural grace are sadly lacking in most of our current Prelates. It is why the Church today is in deep decline.

As for Bishop Barron’s “begin with honey approach”, one needs go no further than the possible influence of his philosophical mentor Hans Urs von Balthasar who has implied that there is a probable hope that most everyone goes to heaven. If there is no hell than the only thing left is honey to attract people back to the Church. Crazy!

Posted by judy on Friday, Nov, 24, 2017 1:13 PM (EST):

Modernism failed to attract the people of the time. People are getting tired of “Go with the time” approach. Obvious proof is that the modernistic religious order is not comparable with the orthodox order with the outdated habit. We all know the truth is not changing.
Only the weak will cave into the time of flying. As the prophet said “all are vanity!”. Stay with the truth, the people of the time will be curious what’s in it!

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